what size dry dog food bag

[Rosalyn Ancrum]

Can anyone tell me how many pounds of dog food for a 29 to 36 pound dog?  I am used to buying a four pound bag for my little yorkie.  That lasts her month.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's no way to answer this question, because every food has a different calorie content, and how much you feed will depend on the calorie content of each particular food. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And, the feeding guidelines for any food are going to be in cups, not pounds. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If this question and the one in The Food Group about the cost of Orijen are related to your daughter's puppy, relax. You have a long time to figure out the food. More than 10 weeks, in fact.

Puppy is due next week I believe? Puppy can't go home until 8 weeks of age, so that's 9 weeks right there. Plus, as we have mnetioned before, you must not change the pup's food for at least 2 weeks after he/she comes home. So now you've got 11 weeks.
Plus, you really cannot choose a new food until you know what exact food the breeder will be feeding, and see how he/she does with that. At that point, if the pup is doing well and you want to switch foods, you will want to look for something similar in terms of animal protein sources and macronutrient percentages. If the pup is not doing well, you will want to look for a different type of food; different protein sources, grains or grain-free, higher or lower protein, etc. 
And, we know this puppy is not going to come home weighing 29 to 36 lbs, lol. Feeding amounts are way different for puppies than for adult dogs; you feed double the calories per lb of body weight that you feed an adult dog. So maybe the question is not about the new puppy? If it is, you will be needing to buy food according to the puppy weight, not the dog's projected adult weight. 

[Rosalyn Ancrum]

Thanks ,

 I guess my concern is  do you have to buy huge bags of puppy food. We are coming up with a budget for puppy needs . My niece has a  shepherd/husky mix puppy and she has to buy these huge bags of puppy food. She buys cheap puppy food which I hate but not my business.  I've never had to buy more than a 4 or 5 pound bag of puppy food. I am just trying to calculate how much we'll be spending on a decent brand.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The amount of food the puppy will need is way different from what he/she will need as an adult, so a budget for puppy needs would be very different from a budget for the dog a year from now. Other items will be different too; less money needed for equipment, more money needed for grooming, etc.

But it's a HUGE mistake to buy more food than a puppy or a dog will consume in a month's time, and there are health reasons for that. I understand that the food costs slightly less per lb when you buy in bulk, but the small savings are not worth the health risks you take by doing that. If budgets need to be trimmed, there are better ways to do that. And until you know if a food agrees with a puppy, and the puppy will eat it, it's actually a big waste of money to buy huge bags of food. I always advise people to start with the smallest bag available when starting a pup on a new food. 
And at any rate, again, the puppy is not going to be eating the amount needed for a 29-36 lb dog, which is what you were asking about. 
The savings per lb of food from one bag to a bigger one are not as much as you might think. I feed Fromm's Four Star Beef Frittata, and I buy the 4 lb bags. My dog weighs 17.5 lbs at one year old. He goes through a bag in about 2.5 weeks now. The cost per lb of the food is about 3.55. The next biggest size bag is 12 lbs, and the cost per lb is about 3.25. That would last 2 months, and if I couldn't freeze half of it, (which I can't; I have very limited freezer space) I'd be feeding my dog old food which would likely be contaminated with storage mites (a very common allergen) in that length of time. Just to save maybe a dollar a month. Not worth it, IMO. :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

At any rate, getting back to the original premise, in order to calculate how much food you will need, you have to know two things: The weight of the puppy and the calorie content of the food. There's no way to know either of those things right now, since we don't know what the pup will weigh (and that number changes every week with puppies, lol) or what food you will be feeding. I think you need to leave this budget item with a question mark for now. Once you have the puppy and know what food he/she is eating and how he/she is doing, we can talk about food choices in the Food Group, and I'll be happy to help you find a good quality reasonably priced food.
And keep in mind that the 29-36 lb adult weight is a guessimate at best. Doodles, especially mini doodles, fluctuate wildly in their adult weights from what the breeders told the owners the dog would weigh. Mixes are completely unpredictable in this regard. We have members here whose miniature goldendoodles ended up weighing 30 lbs more than the breeder's guessimate. :) 

[Rosalyn Ancrum]

Thanks Karen,

I now have a better idea what to expect.  I've never been a fan of  big bags of food. Even when my bichon was still with us ,  I would buy two smaller bags of food.  I was always concerned with the freshness and I didn't like to buy in bulk. I know we have no idea of predicting things about the puppy so early but I was trying to figure out our budget especially since I committed to helping my daughter financially with her doodle.  She already has a groomer in mind.  One of her customers has a grooming business and even recommended a vet in their area.  

[Connie]

Our pup is 4.5 months and 32 pounds. We graduated to 15 pound, large breed puppy food. He is getting 3 feedings a day still, 1 cup each.... wish I could tell you how long it will last but I got tired of running after 5 pound bags all the time. I dont like keeping open food beyond a few weeks. We're still figuring it out too.

[Rosalyn Ancrum]

Thanks Connie,

That's my main point.  I just needed to know what size bags of puppy food you guys purchase for larger breed pups.   Both my pups were toy dogs so I only need to buy a 4 or 5 pound bag of puppy food. My adult yorkie uses a 4 pound bag per month and a week using the bag and vet recommendations. I know there is no idea how much the puppy would weigh but I feel pretty sure labradoodle puppies can't eat just a 4 pound bag for over a month. I've always kept the bag of food in a sealed container.

[Stacy]

Just a really rough estimate, but Katie is about 30 pounds. She eats the Fromm Four Star line and she goes through right at 10 pounds of food a month. She's fully grown and has a tendency to get chubby, so she eats on the lower end of the recommended feeding guidelines, but that's how much food we go through. It's a total of 1 1/3 cups/day split into two meals. Maggie weighs about 50 pounds. She eats Nature's Variety Raw Boost and she goes through 20 pounds every 4 weeks. She tends to be on the thinner side, so her food is higher calorie and she gets about 2 1/2 cups a day give or take, split into breakfast and dinner. 

[Rosalyn Ancrum]

Thanks Connie,

Sounds like my niece shepherd/husky.  When she was that age she was 37 pounds and the vet predicted she'll be about 70 to 75 pounds.  What's funny is she is such a sweetie and big baby unlike my terror , 5 lb. yorkie.  My daughter wants a doodle because of her severe allergies and she wants an intelligent , loving dog.  She and my bichon were extremely close. 

[Jennifer and Jack]

Jack my 17.5-pound full grown doodle barely eats kibble anymore as I mostly cook or prepare all his foods.  To keep it fresh, I put it in zip lock bags and keep it in the freezer. I only take one-gallon size bag out at a time.   It stays fresh longer in the freezer.  This could be an option for you as you figure it out Congratulations on your new baby. Sounds so exciting.   i remember when I got Jack who is now almost 10.  Everything was so important to me.   Puppies are such a joy... I can't wait to see pictures.